Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device that displays character strings on display frames of a predetermined shape, and more particularly, to a technology for controlling display of character strings that do not fall within the display frames.
Description of the Related Art
Display devices that display information about electronic apparatuses, operation buttons for accepting user operations, and the like are widely used these days in various kinds of electronic apparatuses such as image forming apparatuses like printers and copying machines, portable information terminal devices, and car navigation systems.
A user can recognize various kinds of information about an electronic apparatus by looking at display objects such as character strings shown in display frames displayed on a display device.
Meanwhile, as the above mentioned electronic apparatuses are used not only in Japan but also in various other countries, the various kinds of information need to be provided in many different languages. Where information is displayed in many different languages, the number of characters displayed to show the same information varies. In some languages, not all the characters necessary for displaying the information can be displayed in display frames in a default display state.
As a technology for solving the above problem, JP 2013-12041 A discloses a technology for displaying part of a character string outside the display frame for the character string that is a display object in the default display state, for example.
Also, JP 2009-282827 A discloses a technology for selecting a display frame (display template data) of an optimum size in accordance with the size of a character string as a display object, and displaying the display object in the selected display frame in the default display state.
By such a technology, even when the number of characters in a display object is large, a user can see all the characters in the character string of the display object, and recognize the information indicated by the display object.
By the technology disclosed in JP 2013-12041 A, however, part of the character string of a display object is displayed outside the display frame. Therefore, if there are a large number of display objects overflowing from the respective display frames, many characters are randomly displayed outside the display frames, and it is difficult for users to see the display.
By the technology disclosed in JP 2009-282827, when an enlarged display frame is selected in accordance with the size of a display object, the space for the display frames to display the other display objects cannot be secured. As a result, many display frames cannot be displayed on one operating screen, and not all the display frames to show display objects can be displayed unless the display frames are displayed in a hierarchical manner. This causes a problem of a decrease in the convenience of users.